The Alpha King's Series

CHAPTER- FIFTY

BRINLEY.

The palace hasn't changed in these five years since I've been away. It's still beautiful

"Mom, can I go explore?" Dominic asks.

"You can after I show you your room,” I nod.

Kyle stops at the staircase and turns toward me.

"Xander just asked if you could meet him in his office,” Kyle says.

"I can after I show the kids their rooms," I pause. "Unless Xander doesn't want us to stay?"

Kyle shakes his head.

"This is your home, Brinley; pick any rooms you will like,"

"Dominic's old room is still there,” He adds.

"I want the room across from the rooms with the adjoining doors. In case my little one gets scared, she can run into Dominic's room,"

"Okay," Kyle nods.

"Dominic, don't go too far. I have to talk to your father. I will be right back. Let your sister sleep,” I tell him, and Dominic nods.

I walk downstairs to Xander's office and knock on his door.

"Come in," His deep raspy voice is as I remember.

I open the door and walk inside the office, closing the door behind me. Kyle was sitting on the chair in front of Xander's desk.

Xander's office was the same, but I saw the patch job on the left walls, and I frowned. What the hell happened there?.

I shake my head.

That's none of my business. Xander is married to Julia.

I was even saying the words in my head, filling my throat like a fire.

Xander was standing with his ass against the front of his desk, and he was wearing blue jeans and V-neck white shirt that looked too small for his toned chest.

Xander's long black hair was down in the back, and the top half was in a messy bun on his head. Damn, Xander hasn't changed a bit; still sexy as hell.

"Brinley," Xander says. The sound of my name, I looked up into his silver eyes, the same eyes that pull under a spell, and I can't think of anything or anyone as long I'm staring at him.

I look away.

"I need to know why you left? And why Charles is after you?"

I once again look up at Xander and frown.

"Didn't Charles tell you?"

Xander shakes his head.

"It's nothing important,” I sigh.

"To fuck it ain't,” Xander shouts, and I cringe.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," He says, standing and making his way toward me.

"I didn’t leave because I wanted to, Xander. I did it to keep everyone safe,”

Xander stops moving.

"For five years?”

I nod my head.

"Tell me something, Brinley, if Charles wouldn't have you, would you have come back?"

My lips part.

If Charles hadn't found me when he did and the kids and I were still safe, I wouldn't have returned to risk the Kingdom being in danger of my presence here

The longer I stayed away, the safer the Kingdom was.

"I don't know," I lie.

Xander shakes his head.

"You wouldn't have come back,"

"Xander," I start.

"Don't even bother Brinley. Obviously, you've moved on,” Xanders says through clenched teeth.

I raise both brows.

"I've moved on?" I say, pointing to myself.

"I'm not the one who is married to your friend, am 1?"

"No, you have a daughter from your boyfriend,”

"Have you taken a good look at her?" I frown.

"What does that mean?" Xander asks,

Kyle stands.

"He's here,” Kyle announces and leaves the office with Xander right behind him.

I cannot believe Xanderthinks I had a boyfriend and another baby after all the stuff Dominic went through. I thought he got a good look at Caliana. He would know who she was and that I didn't betray him like he has done me if he did.

I walked out of the office, and Dominic stood wide-eyed.

"What's wrong, Dominic?"

"Outside," He points to the door.

"There's a lot of men out there, and they are yelling and growling,"

I kneel.

"Go upstairs and stay with Caliana; I'll be up in a minute,”

Dominic nods and runs upstairs.

I waltz to the door and jerk it open.

"Just the girl I came here to see,” Charles says with menace laced in his voice.

"I said leave," Xander seethed.

Charles looks at him and raises a brow.

"Why would I do that? Brinley and I have unfinished business,”

Xander steps closer to Charles.

"You have no business with her as of right now,"

"That so?" Charles asks.

I watched how Xander's breathing got wilder, and he clenched his fist. He is going to shift.

I got to do something.

Charles's body stiffens as his nose flares.

"It can’t be,” Charles says, shock evident on his face.

Shit, he smells Caliana.

I walk down the steps and step in front of Xander.

"I'm the one you want,” I tell Charles, "Just take me and leave everyone here alone," I say.

Charles shakes his head.

"You know I can't do that."

"What the hell are you doing? You ain't going anywhere with him," Xander says, grabbing my forearm.

"I see you haven't told him," Charles says.

I jerk my arm free from Xander's grasp.

"How about I tell him now? I left you, Xander, because of Charles,” I tell Xander, but I keep my eyes on Charles.

"He offered me some of his dirty money to leave you, and when I refused to accept it. Charles told me he wanted you to be like him, so he killed Caliana, your mate, and didn't think you would get me as a second chance, so Charles tried to buy me off, and when that didn't work, he threatened to kill Dominic if I didn't give him Caliana's box,”

The men that surrounded us fell silent.

"Did I miss anything?" I ask Charles.

"You threatened my son? And you killed Caliana?” Xander asks Charles.

"Xander, you know I would never hurt a Caputo. And I killed Caliana so that you wouldn't have to. This bitch is trying to get between us,” Charles tells him.

"She's my mate,” Xander says, clenching his jaw.

Xander's fist collided with Charles's nose, and the crunch sounded painful, and blood squirted everywhere.

Xander's men grabbed Charles and pushed him toward his car.

"I don't want to see you in my Kingdom again,” Xander yells.

Charles laughs.

"You honestly think you've seen the last of me?" Charles continues to laugh.

"Did you forget one thing, Xander? All Caputo's must attend the crowning of new a King; once your boy turns twenty, you cannot keep me away, and mark my words, I will finish what I started,” Charles says and looks right at me as he says.

"She will die by my hands then, and the amulet will be mine," Charles says and gets in his car and leaves.

Xander turns me around to face him.

"You have Caliana's box?"

I nod.

Xander turns to Kyle.

"Brinley must have protection at all times. Charles has made it clear he wants her dead,”

I grabbed Xander's hand, ignoring the tingles that spread on my skin, and shook my head. "Charles wasn't talking about me," I tell him.

"Yes, he said I will finish what I started. She will die. I heard him," He says.

I nod.

"Yes, but he wasn't talking about me,"

Xander frowns.

"Then who was he talking about?"

I swallow hard and look up into his eyes.

"My daughter,"

"Brinley, move," Xander says, and I shake my head.

“No,”

Xander Nudges me and walks into Dominic's room

"Fuck," I mutter out loud and open the door.

I forgot they have adjoining rooms.

I press my body against the door, so Xander can't get in.

But he is too strong, and I fail.

I run over to Caliana and pick her up in my arms

Xander stands there frozen.

"Caliana," Her name leaves his lips as a whisper.

"Leave my sister alone," Dominic tells Xander and stands in front of him.

Xander raises a brow, then looks up at me.

"Brinley, we need to talk alone,”

"Dominic, watch your sister,"

He nods.

I follow Xander across the hall to my new room.

"Brinley, what are you doing with Caliana?"

"She's my daughter Xander," I tell him.

Xander shakes his head.

"No, she's not. So how did you find her?"

I sit at the edge of the bed and heave a sigh.

"She came to the orphanage. Sister Mary Danvers contacted Knox, and he brought her to me because Charles was going to kill her,”

Xander frowns.

"Knox knew where you were?"

"No," I shake my head.

"I only met him to pick up Caliana,”

"Why didn't you call me? To explain what was going on,”

"Would you have believed me, Xander? I had no proof that Charles killed Caliana before you had the chance to know her. Charles also played Harry, and Caliana chose him. She hugged her other mate as they parted ways as friends, and Harry took it wrong. Before Caliana could explain this to Harry, he killed her rejected mate.”

"How do you know all of this?" Xander asked.

"Mark Mortaga and I found out from his father who was there and knew what Charles has done to Harry, and Dylan was going to tell Charles killed the woman Dylan loved."

"Mark Mortaga knew about this?"

I nod.

"Caliana gave Dylan the box and asked him to give it back to her. But Charles killed her before she returned for it, and Dylan gave me the box to give back to her,"

After minutes of silence, Xander says.

"Dylan Mortaga died two days after you ran,"

My lips part.

Dylan died?

He told me he wouldn't last long enough to give Caliana the box. So that's why he gave it to me. Mentel note: Call Mark, Mortaga.

"Brinley, you can't keep Caliana,”

I push past him.

"Dominic, if you don't eat dinner with everyone, we don't have to,” I tell him as we leave his room. "l want to," He says.

I nod, and he and Caliana follow behind me.

Xander sits at his usual seat, the who family is here, and everyone gets up to hug Dominic and me. Julia walks up to me and tries to embrace me; and I step aside from her, and she frowns.

"Did I do something?" She asks.

"Knox told me that you were marrying Xander. How could you do that to me? I thought we were friends,” I say to her.

Julia turns to Xander with her hand on her hip.

"You didn't tell her?"

I frown.

"Tell me what?"

"That our engagement was fake to trick Charles into finding you,"

I shake my head.

"Xander didn't tell me anything,"

Julia rolls her eyes.

"We couldn't find you on our own, and Xander knew Charles wanted you badly for a reason, so we faked our engagement to trick Charles. And it worked," Julia shrugged, taking her seat.

"I would never do anything to hurt you," She mutters.

Knox and Lucy walked into the dining room, and Knox took off running to hug me.

"I'm glad your back," Knox whispers.

Knox's eyes fall on Dominic.

"You've gotten big since I've seen you last.”

Dominic nods.

"I was three," He says.

Knox nods.

"I remember, and I also remember how stubborn your mom was and wouldn't take the money I was giving her,” He mutters more to himself, but everyone heard him, and that embarrassed me. "Brinley, I want to hear all about what you've been doing these last five years,” Kelsy says.

Carol sits down the plates of food and smiles at me.

"Welcome back, Mija,"

"Thank you,"

"There's not much to tell,” I tell Kelsy and take a bite of chicken.

"Where did you live?" Katie ask.

"Foursbend. Mom worked two jobs to fix our house and ensure my sister and I had what we needed." Dominic tells them.

Delores smiles at him.

"You have a good mother," She says, and Dominic nods his head; and he takes a bite of chicken, and his face scrunches up.

"If you don't like it, I will Carol bring you something, Dominic,” Xander tells him.

Dominic shakes his head.

"I've eaten worse," He says.

Xander looks at him and then at me.

Dominic's right. We have eaten worse food. I ate nothing to ensure the kids had food most of the time, and sometimes all I would have was peanut butter on crackers to feed them, and Dominic is old enough to remember it.

And it breaks my heart knowing he remembers so much and how I have tried my best, and at times my best wasn't good enough.

"Mom, you promised I could call Shelly,” Dominic said after eating the last bite of his food.

I nod.

"Here, don't keep her up to long. She has school,” I remind Dominic as I hand him my phone. Dominic leaves the dining room and heads to his room.

"How bad were things?" Delores asked after Dominic left.

I look away from her and give Caliana my green beans because she ate all of hers, and she smiles big at me.

"Thanks," She says, giggling, putting another one to her mouth.

"You're welcome,”

"Obviously, things were bad," Kelsy says to Delores.

"Look at her. She's skin and bones," Kelsy adds.

I have gotten smaller over the years. I went from a size 6 in jeans to zero and some a double zero. I know Xander is staring a hole through me; I can feel it. But he hasn't said anything.

"You should have the money Knox was giving you. At least you could eat and feed the kids," Lucy joins in.

I frown.

"I was doing fine. In Hillspoint, until your brother Ruben turned me into Charles for money,” I exclaimed.

I sigh.

"You all want to know how bad things were? After Charles chased me out of Hillspoint, Dominic and I moved to Hopedale. Things were bad for four months. I did without a job until I got one working at a lawyer's office. I had no money, only a little out of Knox's money when I first left from here. But I made sure Dominic ate even when I didn't. So when Knox called and Brought me Caliana, I had nothing. I didn't know how I would feed two mouths when I could barely provide one. And I didn't want Knox'ses money because I was determined to do it on my own, and I did. After Knox brought me, Cali, I moved to Foursbend, rented a house, and got two jobs. I worked my ass off, but I fixed that house on my own, and the kids had what they needed, and we were doing fine,"

I told everyone, picked Caliana up, and walked out of the room.

"Dominic, make sure you brush your teeth after your bath,” I remind him because he hates brushing his teeth.

"Okay, mom," He groans.

I laugh and walk back into Caliana’s room, where I left her in the tub playing with her ducks.

"It's time to get out and brush your teeth,” I tell Caliana.

She pouts, and those big brown eyes stare at me with sadness.

I shake my head.

I told out the towel, and she stood up, and I wrapped it around her.

As I was drying her off, the door opened, and Xander leaned against the door frame.

I look up at him, then back down at Caliana, and continue to dry her hair.

Caliana pulls on my shirt to get my attention, and I look down at her.

"Daddy's here," She whispers.

Yes, for a three old year, Caliana is smart. Back in Foursbend, she would have been going to pre- kinder. The schools couldn't believe that she knew almost everything a Pre-kinder knew.

My lips parted.

I didn't know what to tell her because Xander didn't want me to keep her, and now she thinks he is her father.

Xander walks over to us and kneels.

He rubs Caliana's cheek and smiles.

"That's right, sweetheart, I'm your daddy,"

I brush her teeth and hair and make her lay down and kiss her forehead.

"Goodnight, Cali,"

"Nite," She rolls on her side and closes her eyes.

I open Dominic's room, and he is already in bed, asleep.

I kiss his head and leave their rooms with Xander right behind me.

It has been a significant change for the kids today, and one Dominic has made in three years.

I sit on my bed and sigh.

"Xander, why did you tell Caliana your her dad?"

He sits beside me.

"Because your mine, little mate, and I see how much you love her. And when she called me daddy, my chest swelled with joy, and I knew I was never meant to be her mate. I was meant to be her father,” He says.

"I'm sorry that you had to live like that all those years because you felt I couldn't protect you. But I want you to know that shit with Julia was fake. It never meant anything to me, and I've never moved on from you,” Xander admits.

"I know you probably dated and had one-night stands,” He says, and I watch his jaw tick.

I shake my head and stroke his cheek.

"It's only ever been you," I whisper.